Combination belt and shield



E. JACKSON comammon BELT AND SHIELD Oct. 7,,1958

Filed March 12, 1957 IN V EN TOR d063 Ammo " Edward Jacksbn United States Patent Ofiice 2,854,973 Patented Oct. 7, 1958 COMBINATION BELT AND SHIELD Edward Jackson, Miami, Fla. Application March 12, 1957, Serial No. $55,439 2 Claims. (Cl. 128 149) This invention relates in general to an article of wearing apparel and more particularly to an undergarment in the form of a combination chafing shield for the perineum or crotch area and a sanitary pad supporting belt.

An object of the present invention is to provide a chafing shield that is constructed so as to form a combination belt and shield for comfort of the wearer whether it be a man or a woman.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a combination belt and chafing shield for persons employed in warm humid areas and subject to physical exertion and perspiration thus preventing the uncomfortable conditions causes by chafing of the perineum and the inner surfaces of the upper portions of the legs of the wearer.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chafing shield which can be constructed of a soft absorbent cotton material that will be long Wearing and comfortable and which is relatively simple to use.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the combination belt and shield of the present invention installed upon a wearer; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective View of the present invention showing the details of construction thereof.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numera1 generally designates the combined belt and shield of the present invention. The combination belt and shield includes a waist encircling band 12 of elasticized material and may be provided in graduated sizes to provide a correct fit. Stitched to the band 12 is a plurality of downwardly extending loops 14 with the stitching being designated by numeral 16. The outermost pairs of loops 14 are spaced from the front and rear center of the band 12 and support flexible straps 18 therefrom. Each of the straps are provided with a slack take-up friction buckle 20 on each end thereof for effectively adjusting the length of the strap 18. A double hook-shaped member 22 connects each end of the belt 18 to a respective loop 14 as shown in Figure 2. Supported on each of the endless straps 18 is an arcuate shield 24 having a hem 26 positioned over the strap 18 and provided with a scalloped outer edge 28 for generally permitting the arcuate piece of fabric or similar material to fit the contour of the inner surface of the upper portions of the legs 30 of the wearer. Thus, the shields 24 will effectively prevent chafing and will absorb perspiration in this area of the body. The construction of the shields 24 is symmetrical and each shield in each pair is identical to permit interchanging thereof.

The central loops 14 each support a double hook shaped member 32 which in turn supports an elastic strap 34 having a fastener 36 attached thereto with the fastener having spaced apertures 38 with projecting serrations 40 extending from adjacent edges thereof for engagement with the ends of a sanitary pad of conventional construction thus providing a combination shield and pad supporting belt. It is noted that the spacing of the loops i4 is such that the space between the chafe shields 24 will provide space for the sanitary pad. Also, it is pointed out that the strap 18 may be of a soft woven elastic tape and the chafe shields 24 may be of soft absorbent cotton material thus eliminating any tendency of these devices to chafe the wearer.

If desired, the straps 34 on the rear of the band 12 may be eliminated with the loops 14 being disposed approximately one inch apart since only one set of shields or one set of pad attachments is employed at one time. in this arrangement the rear loops 14 being only one inch apart will provide support for the rear end of the pad.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An undergarment comprising a waist encircling band, a pair of flexible straps adapted to extend between the legs of a wearer, means detachably connecting each end of each strap to the waistband, said connecting means being disposed in offset relation to the front and rear center of the waistband, and an arcuate member of perspiration absorbent material mounted on each of said straps for positioning against the inner surface of the upper portion of the legs of the wearer thereby preventing contact therebetween for eliminating chafing of the legs and the adjacent area, said connecting means including a loop secured to the band, and hook means interconnecting the loop and the end of the strap respectively.

2. An undergarment comprising a waist encircling band, a pair of flexible straps adapted to extend between the legs of a wearer, means detachably connecting each end of each strap to the waistband, said connecting means being disposed in ofiset relation to the front and rear center of the waistband, and an arcuate member of perspiration absorbent material mounted on each of said straps for positioning against the inner surface of the upper portion of the legs of the wearer thereby preventing contact therebetween for eliminating chafing of the legs and the adjacent area, said band being provided with means on the front thereof for supporting the forward end of a sanitary pad, the rear end of the pad being supported from the rear connecting means for the straps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

